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Conan, MTV, Sundance Channel, LOGO and millions more join GLAAD in going purple for Spirit Day

As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, GLAAD recently launched its latest PSA video series Amply Your Voice, which features a number of celebrities and youth speaking out against anti-LGBT bullying. Produced in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the PSAs feature personal stories of young people from the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center’s Youth Enrichment (YES) Program. Russell Simmons, Chaz Bono, Shaquille O'Neal, Amy Poehler, Ted Allen, Tabatha Coffey, Nelsan Ellis, Amber Heard, Liz Lee, Rev. Al Sharpton, Lisa Vanderpump, Louis Van-Amstel and Jane Velez-Mitchell are among a few of the celebrities featured in the PSAs. Comcast will serve as a leading media partner for the PSA campaign, contributing $3 million in airtime and reaching over 20 million homes.

The PSAs arrive days before Spirit Day, which takes place on Thursday, October 20. A number of organizations, celebrities and media outlets have pledged to go purple to show their support for LGBT youth everywhere. GLAAD has partnered with a number of organizations such as GLSEN, GSA Network, PFLAG and the Trevor Project to inspire Americans to wear purple on Spirit Day.

MTV is getting into the spirit by turning its on-air logo purple along with its Facebook, Twitter, MTV.com and MTV Act logos. Additionally, the network will also turn its MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and RateMyProfessors.com purple. MTV has also decided to light MTV 44 and 1/2, the jumbotron in Times Square, purple for the day.

The Sundance Channel will support LGBT youth on Spirit Day by turning its on-air media and social media logos purple, and the channel’s employees will be participating.

Logo is pledging its support by airing a purple Spirit Day ribbon on its channel to drive viewers to the website NewNowNext.com in an effort to increase awareness against bullying. The channel will also turn its Twitter (@LogoTV) and Facebook (facebook.com/logotv) photos purple and pictures of staff, fans and talent will be posted to Tumblr throughout the day.

Here Media will show support by turning logos on Advocate.com, Gay.com, Gay.net, Out.com, OutTraveler and SheWired.com purple for the day.

Companies including AMC Entertainment, American Airlines, AT&T, B|W|R Public Relations, Comcast, Delta, Draftfcb, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard, McGraw-Hill, NBCUniversal, Nielsen, PepsiCo, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Verizon, Viacom, and Yahoo! will all participate. Participating companies will distribute information to employees about wearing purple, and some companies have also pledged to turn their social media logos purple for the day. More information about what specific companies are panning can be found at: http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/corporate.

Additionally, supporters will wear purple on Spirit Day and change their Facebook and Twitter profile photos purple today through October 20 using free applications at http://www.glaad.org/spiritday. GLAAD also partnered with Mobli to create a Spirit Day channel for Mobli apps on Android, Blackberry and iPhone products. Mobli, where users can share moments and see the world through other people’s eyes, is a real-time, visual social media platform, made up of subject-based channels such as people, places and topics (www.mobli.com/spiritday).

For a list of celebrity participants, media outlets, TV networks, organizations and corporations, visit www.glaad.org/spiritday/partners. Additional participants will be announced in the upcoming days.

At GLAAD we're often asked how LGBT equality is doing in Latino USA and in Spanish-speaking countries. The answer isn't simple, not a thumbs up or thumbs down. It's instead complex, just like the world in which we live. We've seen many setbacks but also some wins. Let's take a minute to celebrate the good high points, because there were lots of them. Here's our top ten list of moments that mattered in Spanish-Language media in 2014.

Channing Tatum will present writer, producer, director, and philanthropist Roland Emmerich with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton on March 21, 2015, it was announced today.

About GLAAD

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBT acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love.more about GLAAD >>